TODAY: HNA plans to sell stake in Hilton Worldwide, long-term outlook for Barcelona’s hotel sector positive and 6 Steps to Success in Text Messaging & Chat for Hotel Managers.

HNA plans to sell stake in Hilton Worldwide
Tuesday, 10th April 2018

HNA Group, the largest shareholder of Hilton Worldwide and owner of landmark hotels such as the Waldorf Astoria New York, has announced that it will be selling some or all of its 26.1% ($6.5 billion) stake in the US hotel operator. The announcement comes after months of speculation >>

China’s hotel consolidator DidaTravel raises $8 million
10 Apr 2018 : DidaTravel will continue to increase direct procurement of hotel resources, expand overseas sales and domestic offline channels after completion of the current round >>

Long-term outlook for Barcelona’s hotel sector positive
10 Apr 2018 : The hotel sector in Barcelona will continue to attract global investors looking for long- to medium-term growth, despite restrictions imposed on new developments in the city and uncertainty following Catalonia’s recent quest for independence >>

Messi becomes Ambassador for Responsible Tourism
The UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili, appointed Lionel Messi, considered by many the best football player of all times, as UNWTO Ambassador for Responsible Tourism this Saturday at Camp Nou in Barcelona, after the match FC Barcelona – Leganés >>

Ascott ties up with developers to boost pipeline
10 Apr 2018 : Ascott is accelerating its expansion in Asia by forging strategic partnerships with leading developers in China, Japan and Thailand to manage apartments currently under development as well as future projects by these companies >>

HIGHLIGHT ARTICLE

6 Steps to Success in Text Messaging & Chat for Hotel Managers
Tuesday, 10th April 2018

Smile! That's what hotel staff are trained to do even when talking on the phone and when you smile, you sound pleasant and interested: What are we to do in a world of texting and chat?

As text messaging and chat become the communication channels of choice for consumers, more hotels are adapting to the trend by inviting travelers to connect with them by SMS, chat widget, or messaging app >>

Are TripAdvisor's Sponsored Placements a Good Idea?
On the face of it, though, Sponsored Placements present a great opportunity for hotels to increase their visibility on the 'number one most-visited site prior to booking travel.' The new ads offer hoteliers the chance to get in front of potential guests that, crucially, haven't chosen a purchasing channel yet. However, hoteliers will have to weigh up the benefit of this visibility against the likelihood of guests then going on to book their rooms on a listed OTA >>

Are You Keeping Up with Your Customers?
I’ve got good news and bad news for you: The good news is that you no longer have to keep up with your competition; the bad news is that now you have to keep up with your customer – meaning your customer’s expectation of the service that makes you competitive >>